About Us

"Lackawanna"
(a Delaware Indian word meaning "meeting of the waters") was
built in 1869, by Dorastus Cone who moved to Front Royal soon after the
Civil War. The house was named Lackawanna when it was built; probably
because Mr. Cone came here from Lackawanna County, PA, and also because
the North and South Fork of the Shenandoah River meet at the end of our
road. Mr. Cone along with his partners operated the famous water gristmill,
known as Riverton Water Mills on the South Fork of the Shenandoah River.

This home is a pristine example of Italianate architecture popular during
the late 1800s. The home remains an elegant reminder of the great craftsmanship
found in the homes of that period and had many upscale amenities not found
in most homes at that time. The interior doors, woodwork and stairway
are native walnut and chestnut. Our bedrooms are very quiet due to the
house construction of interior brick walls.

The rooms are
spacious and elegant with eleven-foot ceilings. This stately home incorporates
the often referred to Double Parlors in the front, each containing fireplaces
and full-length windows facing the south fork. Afternoon tea or wine is
available and often enjoyed by our guests in the parlor, or weather permitting,
in the garden or on the front porch. The house remains structurally as
it was built in 1869, with no walls removed or woodwork painted.

Breakfast at Lackawanna is always a special event. All of the ingredients
are personally selected for their freshness and in-season availability.
Sandy and Phil attended the Culinary Institute in New York taking classes
in gourmet breakfasts and baking and they both enjoy preparing this special
meal for their guests. The multi-course breakfast menu changes daily and
is served in the dining room between 8:30 and 9:30 with all the fine china
and linens becoming to the style and era of this Victorian B&B. We
are always happy to accommodate special dietary needs, so please don't
be afraid to mention them to us.

The
forty-foot front porch facing the Shenandoah River is a much-enjoyed retreat
of our guests at breakfast, afternoon tea or for an evening drink.

Lackawanna is located on a dead-end street blanketed by many trees, which
gives you the feeling of being on a quiet retreat but with the luxury
of being only minutes away from Skyline Drive and local places to visit.
This lovely home faces the South Fork of the Shenandoah and is a three-minute
walk to the river's edge.

It took three years of restoration to bring this home into the twenty-first
century while keeping the warm atmosphere of the late 1800s. We are delighted
to be able to share the beauty of this home (now listed on the National
Historic Register as part of the Riverton Historic District) and gardens
with visitors to this area.

When we moved
in the gardens were very overgrown and a total of 25 trees were cut down.
This allowed many of the boxwoods, magnolia trees and perennials to come
back to life.

We look forward to our guests being able to enjoy the experience of staying
in a stately nineteenth century home in such a lovely setting. We also
offer swimming, in season, in our in ground pool.